Calendar

Wyrd War hereby summons all battle rockers to assemble at Star Theater on Wednesday June 2 as we celebrate the birth of Dennis Dread with a screening of Sogo Ishii’s dystopian punk rock masterpiece BURST CITY (1982)!

This is a private screening with advance tickets required for entry.

BURST CITY is one of the most influential and experimental independent films in contemporary Japanese cinema history! Woefully underexposed in the U.S., Ishii’s fast and loose epic pits two rival punk bands and their misfit squatter tribes against corrupt yakuza thugs who are determined to establish a nuclear power plant within the industrial wasteland of a dark future Tokyo. Or something like that. Starring members of The Rockers, The Roosters and The Stalin, BURST CITY propels through gritty 16mm concert footage like a misguided ballistic missile toward a cathartic and incendiary climax. “THIS IS NOT AN EXPLOSIVE MOVIE…THIS IS A MOVIE EXPLOSION!” 

Join us for REGGAE ON THE PATIO every Friday!

Cansaman (Trinity Sound) has been playing reggae music in Portland for the past 20+ years. Cansa has done everything from holding weekly events to opening up for some of the biggest touring acts from Jamaica. You can catch Cansa on www.NiceUpRadio.com every Thursday (5-7pm PST) and Saturday (2-4pm PST). Follow Cansa on Twitch as well for live broadcasts (Twitch.TV/CansaTrinity) every Wednesday and Saturday. Cansa has been a resident DJ and host at the Start Theater for Reggae On The Patio for the past two years. It has been a must go to event for happy hour after a long week at work where people can dance and socialize. Bring your friends and come dance to some sweet reggae music every Friday from 5-9pm for the summer. No cover charge, you must be 21+. We look forward to seeing you. 

5-9pm

No cover!

21+

HUNTER : PRESENTS

CHURCH OF HIVE Dance Party with DJs!

SKULLY

SAINT

Staying safe with masks and social distancing

21+

$5 

6 to MIDNIGHT!

Star Theater, 13 NW 6th, Portland

GO! 

HUNTER : PRESENTS

Join us for REGGAE ON THE PATIO every Friday 

Cansaman (Trinity Sound) has been playing reggae music in Portland for the past 20+ years. Cansa has done everything from holding weekly events to opening up for some of the biggest touring acts from Jamaica. You can catch Cansa on www.NiceUpRadio.com every Thursday (5-7pm PST) and Saturday (2-4pm PST). Follow Cansa on Twitch as well for live broadcasts (Twitch.TV/CansaTrinity) every Wednesday and Saturday. Cansa has been a resident DJ and host at the Start Theater for Reggae On The Patio for the past two years. It has been a must go to event for happy hour after a long week at work where people can dance and socialize. Bring your friends and come dance to some sweet reggae music every Friday from 5-9pm for the summer. No cover charge, you must be 21+. We look forward to seeing you. 

5-9pm

No cover! (No ticket required)

21+

HUNTER : PRESENTS
MOAN ZONE 
Dance Party!

With DJ Pains Grey

7pm-midnight

21+

FREE!!!
No ticket required!

If you are fully vaccinated (2 weeks since your last shot) you can show your vaccination card and wear our wristband and not wear a mask. Otherwise, you must wear a mask at all times unless seated at a table.
 

HUNTER : PRESENTS

UNEARTHED

with DJs

Crankenstein

Skully

7pm - midinight!

21+

If you are fully vaccinated you can show your vaccination proof to the box office and wear one of our wristbands and not wear a mask. Otherwise, masks must be worn at all times except when seated.

GO!

CHURCH OF HIVE Dance Party with DJs!

SKULLY

ZOTZI-HA

Staying safe with masks and social distancing

21+

$5 

7pm to MIDNIGHT!

Star Theater, 13 NW 6th, Portland

GO! 

This is a private screening with advance tickets required for entry.

Wyrd War presents a very special night at the theater with legendary filmmaker Brian Trenchard-Smith! DEAD END DRIVE-IN (1986) is cult "Ozploitation" auteur Brian Trenchard-Smith's neon-drenched dystopian classic that pits an unlikely cast of new wave punks against a future fascist state in a race for freedom! After the economic collapse of Australia, police forces lure society's unemployable youth into decadent drive-in movie theaters that turn out to be...concentration camps! Featuring the amazing car stunts of MAD MAX 2: THE ROAD WARRIOR veteran Guy Norris, DEAD END DRIVE-IN is a high-octane whirlwind of stylized violence and satirical commentary on 80s pop culture values. Brian Trenchard-Smith will be signing copies of his new memoir ADVENTURES IN THE B MOVIE TRADE before the film while supplies last!         

HUNTER : PRESENTS

Join us for REGGAE ON THE PATIO every Friday!

Cansaman (Trinity Sound) has been playing reggae music in Portland for the past 20+ years. Cansa has done everything from holding weekly events to opening up for some of the biggest touring acts from Jamaica. You can catch Cansa on www.NiceUpRadio.com every Thursday (5-7pm PST) and Saturday (2-4pm PST). Follow Cansa on Twitch as well for live broadcasts (Twitch.TV/CansaTrinity) every Wednesday and Saturday. Cansa has been a resident DJ and host at the Start Theater for Reggae On The Patio for the past two years. It has been a must go to event for happy hour after a long week at work where people can dance and socialize. Bring your friends and come dance to some sweet reggae music every Friday from 5-9pm for the summer. No cover charge, you must be 21+. We look forward to seeing you. 

5-9pm

No cover!

21+

HUNTER : PRESENTS

UNEARTHED

with DJs

PLEASURE VICTIM

SEA_WRAITH

7pm - midinight!

21+

If you are fully vaccinated you can show your vaccination proof to the box office and wear one of our wristbands and not wear a mask. Otherwise, masks must be worn at all times except when seated.

GO!

HUNTER : PRESENTS

CHURCH OF HIVE Dance Party with DJs!

SKULLY

NON

SINEAD dB

Staying safe with masks and social distancing

21+

$5 

7pm to MIDNIGHT!

Star Theater, 13 NW 6th, Portland

GO! 

This show has been moved to the Star Theater and has a new date due to restrictions on capacity in Multnomah county.

Tickets for the original date of May 21 will be honored on the new date of Friday, Jun 25, 2021 at the Star Theater!

DOUBLE RECORD RELEASE PARTY with
HIPPIE DEATH CULT and ROBOTS OF THE ANCIENT WORLD

Capacity is very limited so get your tickets today!

 

From the creative melting pot of Portland, Mbrascatu is an indie rock band that draws from diverse European and American roots to create a unique signature sound.

Blending together dynamics ranging from delicate to explosive; expressive Italian lyrics; hook-laden melodies; inventive arrangements; and energetic rhythms         

DJ Anjali and The Incredible Kid, twice voted Best DJs in Portland, emerge from a year of livestreaming during pandemic to celebrate the 19-year anniversary of their ANDAZ Bhangra and Bollywood dance party. Featuring FINSTA, dholi Adam McCollom, and a Desi dance lesson with Anjali.

The world's longest running Desi dance party is a Portland original, a transportive experience that has enraptured feverishly dancing Portland crowds since 2002!

ANDAZ Portland's Original Bhangra, Bollywood & Desi Bass Dance Party Celebrating 19 Years!! Featuring resident DJs Anjali & The Incredible Kid with Dholi Adam McCollom (Seattle) & special guest FINSTA Saturday, July 10th, 2021

"Their long-standing Andaz party has become legendary" -Willamette Week 6/5/19 "Whether it's the Desi-Latino Soundclash: Tropitaal, the Bhangra Bollywood dance party: ANDAZ, or her annual NYE rager, Anjali is the premier Portland dance DJ." -Eleven PDX 4/8/19 "Andaz, the longest-running bhangra and Bollywood dance party in the world (and one of the wildest opportunities to shake your bum in Portland)." -Portland Mercury 7/27/18 "DJ Anjali & The Kid have been a staple of Portland, Oregon's club scene for almost two decades, creating spaces for DJs and dancers to enjoy an international mélange of music ranging from bhangra to reggaeton." -Remezcla 12/26/18
 

Founded in 2016, Sensi Trails has been playfully blurring the lines between traditional rock and roll, California reggae, surf, and psychedelic rock. After releasing a 5 song EP in 2017, founder/lead singer/guitarist Kyle Rising decided to relocate from Outer Banks North Carolina, to San Diego California.  Following the recording and release of the new single Just Livin' featuring K-Bong of Stick Figure, he met drummer Jordan Starke and bassist/vocalist Kaya Hall. A new layer of lush sound was added with keyboardist Mike Root joining the band thereafter.  The band added John Felice on lead guitar and back-up vocals in 2021.

 

Every so often a band or artist comes along that changes the temperature in the room.
They cannot be defined by one of their songs or be put into any one genre. Their sound
is universal yet unique and their emotion is unparalleled. This is Ours.
The band led by multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Jimmy Gnecco originally blew up the
scene and played non-stop shows around NYC and New Jersey before Dreamworks
won them in a bidding war. Ours return with their self titled album to remind everyone
just how powerful, relevant and important music is in the year 2021.
Gnecco wrote, produced, recorded, and mixed the album alongside his band of 5:
April Bauer, Chris Iasiello, Mikey Iasiello, and Carmelo Risquet. The album is the final
piece in a trilogy of albums and true to Gnecco’s philosophy about no borders, the band
also had longtime musician friends take part in making it. It’s predecessors...Ballet the
Boxer and New Age Heroine were quietly released in an effort to build to this 17 song
anthemic work of art that truly is Ours at their best. The players all move together to
create a cacophony of sound that takes the listener on a journey and to a place of self
contemplation. “The music is a reflection of the audience says Gnecco. It’s all
connected. We give energy, we receive it back and the exchange begins. It’s our job to
bring some kind of joy or light to people in the end.”
On OURS, each song is unique unto itself. With a beginning, middle, and final chapter, it
creates an entire range of emotions and events. “The goal was to create an album that
felt like a motion picture. In a time when there is so much emphasis on singles, we
wanted to offer the best of what we could in that department, but it was also crucial to
not undermine or forget about the album as a whole. I feel as though we have a good
balance of stadium anthems, songs that make you think, and those that you can sing
along to this time.”
The band has always been about playing live, but this time they would disappear from
the public eye for almost a decade to create this long awaited and self titled album
OURS.

 

KNOWER are a searing hot music group from Los Angeles spearheading a new musical movement. The LA duo represent the best of drummer-producer Louis Cole and singer Genevieve Artadi

An entirely DIY act since formation in 2010, KNOWER's viral videos, discography, live visual experience and fiery 5-piece show has become an international favorite. Having toured their Life album worldwide, they have opened for The Red Hot Chili Peppers in 2017 and continue to take over with their hard-hitting funk, cool chords, deep melodies and funky vocals into an incredibly imaginative off-world experience.

KNOWER's viral videos, discography and live visual experience has become an international internet phenomena. Clocking millions of views, their videos "Overtime live house and "THE GOVT. KNOWS" are experiences that will stick with you forever. Known for their visual live show, they take their infectious energy to another level.      

With a timeless sound that blends heavy soul and psych-rock, Monophonics have built a reputation over the past decade as one of the best live bands in the country. Led by singer Kelly Finnigan, the band of has drawn on their colorful history -- both their experiences as veteran touring performers and as individuals growing up in the Bay Area -- to create "It's Only Us," their fourth release since 2012, out March 13th on Colemine Records.

A reflection of what they see as the current state of the world, the record touches on difficult subjects such as broken relationships, mental health issues, gun violence and power struggles, all with an underlying message of unity, resilience and acceptance. The band's signature style of arrangement -- leaning on warm textures, thanks to rhythm and horn sections whose reputations precede them -- has been expanded with top-notch production and creative instrumentation: a Mellotron, lap steel guitar, harp and Moog all round out the Monophonics' trademark soul sound, while Finnigan's vocals are more powerful than ever. At times these tracks can feel classic, as familiar as an old song you grew up with, while simultaneously raising questions about the state of music in 2020 and what the future might hold.

"It's Only Us" is the sound of a group continuing to grow as songwriters, musicians, performers and people -- reflecting on where they've been, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible in the years to come.         

Over the course of its two-decade existence, Lightning Bolt has revolutionized underground rock in immeasurable ways. The duo broke the barrier between stage and audience by setting themselves up on the floor in the midst of the crowd. Their momentous live performances and the mania they inspired paved the way for similar tactics used by Dan Deacon and literally hundreds of others. Similarly, the band's recordings have always been chaotic, roaring, blown out documents that sound like they could destroy even the toughest set of speakers. Fantasy Empire, Lightning Bolt's sixth album and first in five years, is a fresh take from a band intent on pushing themselves musically and sonically while maintaining the aesthetic that has defined not only them, but an entire generation of noisemakers. It marks many firsts, most notably their first recordings made using hi-fi recording equipment at the famed Machines With Magnets, and their first album for Thrill Jockey. More than any previous album, Fantasy Empire sounds like drummer Brian Chippendale and bassist Brian Gibson are playing just a few feet away, using the clarity afforded by the studio to amplify the intensity they project. Every frantic drum hit, every fuzzed-out riff, sounds more present and tangible than ever before.

Fantasy Empire is ferocious, consuming, and is a more accurate translation of their live experience. It also shows Lightning Bolt embracing new ways to make their music even stranger. More than any previous record, Chippendale and Gibson make use of live loops and complete separation of the instruments during recording to maximize the sonic pandemonium and power. Gibson worked with Machines very carefully to get a clear yet still distorted and intense bass sound, allowing listeners to truly absorb the detail and dynamic range he displays, from the heaviest thud to the subtle melodic embellishments. Some of these songs have been in the band's live repertoire since as early as 2010, and have been refined in front of audiences for maximum impact. This is heavy, turbulent music, but it is executed with the precision of musicians that have spent years learning how to create impactful noise through the use of dynamics, melody, and rhythm.

Fantasy Empire has been in gestation for four years, with some songs having been recorded on lo-fi equipment before ultimately being scrapped. Since Early Delights was released, the band has collaborated with the Flaming Lips multiple times, and continued to tour relentlessly. 2013 saw the release of All My Relations by Black Pus, Chippendale's solo outlet, which was followed by a split LP with Oozing Wound. Chippendale, an accomplished comic artist and illustrator, created the Fantasy Empire's subtly ominous album art, and will release an upcoming book of his comics through respected imprint Drawn and Quarterly. Brian Gibson has been developing the new video game Thumper, with his own company, Drool, which will be released next year. And, of course, Lightning Bolt will be touring the US in 2015.         

Balkan Bump is the newest project from trumpet player, producer and ethnomusicologist Will Magid.

Balkan Bump debuted with the single "Aymo" alongside superstar collaborators Gramatik and Talib Kweli. Gramatik quickly championed the new project; unveiling Balkan Bump's live show on his Re:Coil Tour and releasing Balkan Bump's debut EP on his Lowtemp label imprint in 2018. Balkan Bump then blossomed to international audiences, performing at Coachella, Bonnaroo, Lightning In A Bottle and Electric Forest, and releasing collaborations with CloZee, Beats Antique, The Gift Of Gab, The Geek x Vrv, Fakear, and more.

Balkan Bump is a fusion of live instruments, world influences and lush electronic production. His releases flaunt experience as an instrumentalist and arranger, fusing energetic Balkan brass with heavy electronic production and hip-hop influences all which can be heard on his recent album Osmanity and the Osmanity Remixes      

 

One half of the LA duo KNOWER, Louis Cole is a singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalists known today as one of the world's most celebrated musicians.

Now touring his third album Time and its sister EP Live Sesh & Xtra Songs- Cole's sound is a seemingly simple and totally addictive mix of electro-funk missiles shot clearly on refrains and steamy nostalgic strolls. Signed to Flying Lotus' label Brainfeeder, 2020 anticipates yet another debut paired with his searing videos.

With a mission "to create deep feelings through music" his comedic YouTube videos aren't far from the real thing. Viral video favourites like F It Up mirror his live big band show experience, featuring LA's best instrumentalists seen creating hot funk whilst crammed into his modest living room. Now his largest shows to date, Louis Cole's Big Band follows in similar fashion: weird, wild and wonderful. This will be a night to remember.        

Artist Pre-sale: Wednesday, May 12 @ 10am
Venue/Local Pre-Sale: Thursday, May 13 @ 10am
Public On Sale: Friday, May 14 @ 10am

Saxophonist, composer, philosopher and writer Shabaka Hutchings returns with a brand new album 'Black to the Future' the fourth album of his SONS OF KEMET band. This is the band's most dynamic project yet, with members Theon Cross (tuba), Edward Wakili-Hick (percussion), Tom Skinner (percussion) and Shabaka Hutchings (saxophone, woodwinds) being joined on the album by special guest vocalists Angel Bat Dawid, Kojey Radical, Lianne La Havas, poets Moor Mother and Joshua Idehen, and grime artist D Double E.

Black To The Future, is a politically poignant and musically rich album, which feels destined to be placed on the shelf next to Archie Shepp's Attica Blues or John Coltrane's Alabama and SONS OF KEMET live are not to be missed !

About Shabaka Hutchings: The British-born Barbados-raised saxophonist and clarinetist is the centrifugal force in three critically-acclaimed bands: Sons of Kemet, The Comet Is Coming, and the South African-centered Shabaka and the Ancestors. He signed to Impulse! in 2018 after a six-year stretch rising to prominence with international sold-out shows that dissolved old genre boundaries and attracted eminent attention. Along the way he picked up accolades including two Mercury Prize nominations, a MOBO and a 2020 inclusion as one of Downbeat's "Musicians Shaping The Future Of Jazz."        

In November 2018, The band played a UK tour culminating with a sold out show at the London Roundhouse, to celebrate the 30th anniversary of their much acclaimed self-titled debut album, which was released on Creation Records in 1988. A special edition of the album with many extra unheard tracks was released by Cherry Red Records to coincide.

 The original 10-track album, released by the legendary Creation Records, featuring classic tracks such as Hope, Man To Child & Love In A Car, was quickly hailed as one of the definitive independent releases of the late 1980's and today the songs and sound still resonate with long time and a new generation of fans.

The House Of Love formed in 1986 in Camberwell, South London and released their first single, Shine On, on Creation Records in May 1987. Two further singles, Real Animal and Christine, appeared before they released the debut album in June 1988 to ecstatic reviews.

One undeniable charm was the contrast between the overloaded layering of guitars and the 'gravelly voice of calm' (to quote Len Brown in the NME) that lay at the centre. 'The guitar sound is spring, the melody and lyrics autumn,' agreed Simon Reynolds of Melody Maker, referring to 'Christine' but making a comment that applied equally to the whole of the record. It stood out, not least according to Danny Kelly of The NME, because it was birthed in an era of 'instant-impact, minimal-retention pop'. For Simon Reynolds, the arrival of The House Of Love represented 'the sun gone in to supernova' and fellow journalist Jonh Wilde viewed the band in a similarly cosmic fashion - the album was' unnervingly big and entirely everything'. Playing live, critics agreed too that the band were dynamite. Both Guy Chadwick and Terry Bickers were first and foremost guitarists, creating a texture onto which Guy Chadwick's poetic songs were laid. Guy had a vision of the sound and Terry went a long way to helping him realise it. ' John Peel seeing them in Leeds in 1988 said in The Observer, 'The House Of Love showed within seconds that they have that inner tension that makes for a great rather than a merely good band. This was one of those performances that I wished I could have taken away with me.' They went on to sign with Fontana Records with Creation impresario Alan McGee still managing them but guitarist Terry Bickers would leave in 1989, following a monumental fallout, to be replaced by Simon Walker, before they released their second self-titled (although often called 'the Butterfly' album) in January 1990 featuring songs such as the hypnotic 'The Beatles and The Stones', 'I don't Know Why I Love You' and a re-recorded anthemic 'Shine On' immediately went Gold, with 'Shine On' hitting the charts across Europe.

Two further albums would be released on Fontana, Babe Rainbow (1992) and Audience With The Mind (1993) before they disbanded in late 1993 disillusioned with the record company.  Guy made a solo record, the quiet classic, Lazy Soft and Slow on Setanta Records, before Terry re-joined the band along with new bass player Matt Jury. They made a return in 2005 with a new album, Days Run Away which was followed in 2013 by She Paints Words In Red on Cherry Red.

Currently working on new material, a new album is expected in the near future!